Blended

Seek, create, mentor, partner – the four steps to getting diverse voices onto industry stages     Welcome back to Blended!    Today, we're talking about the ethos behind this podcast – highlighting diverse voices.    The Blended podcast was founded to give people from all walks of life a platform and, as an extension of that, the Blended Pledge was established to get those people onto industry stages. Because we've all been at conferences and events and seen the same type of person represented time and again. We've heard that diverse voices weren't invited or, if they were, they couldn't afford to fund the trip.    Across industries, we're starting to see panels and stages work on that diversity, but progress isn't happening quickly enough. So, as we look towards a brand new year, we wanted to share some practical advice around what we can all do to get more diverse voices onto industry stages – and why it matters.  IN THIS EPISODE:   [01.04] Introductions to our Blended panelists.   Karen – President and CEO at World Trade Center Denver Megan – Psychotherapist and host of Career Congregation podcast  Mary – Senior Vice President of Business Development at Pallet Alliance    [06.07] The group discuss what they see when it comes to diverse voices on industry stages, how inclusion has changed, and their experiences as speakers, organizers and attendees.   Male representation on stage  Different perspectives lead to better outcomes  Small changes  Slow pace  Why should companies care?  Diversity of country of origin  Diversity of audience as well as panel  Megan's experience of shifting gender representation in psychology, therapy, and wellness, as well as different representations across cultures (west vs east)    "I've been going to conferences a long time and I do see a shift in the diversity that's on stages. But I'm still very familiar with the basics: Caucasian, male, business." Mary    "Like attracts like, even though diversity matters. If you're trying to get a diverse audience, you need to have those people on the panel… I build a panel based on who I want in the audience." Karen  [24.18] The panel explore common barriers and challenges to achieving more diversity and inclusion at industry events.  Women rejecting opportunity/suggesting male colleagues   Making mistakes  Event planning  Honesty  Panel planning is an art, not a science  Responsibility – individual and business  Karen's experience of a speaker tying her personal talent for fire-eating to managing supply chain  Inspiration  Mary's experience of being a masculine-presenting lesbian and being treated differently    Lack of exposure  Being different is a superpower  Courage  Seeing to believe  Corporate gatekeeping – who can represent the company?  Travel –  Expenses  Getting creative  Permission  Company vs personal brand  Calling people out  Bias  Leadership  Fear  Neurodivergence –  creating diverse experiences  different ways of learning/working   "A lot of companies are afraid to talk right now, there's a fear of retribution, they don't want to get out in front on some of their challenges. But if you're vulnerable and talk about the mistakes you've made, you seem more powerful. And that's what people learn from." Karen     "I'm a masculine-presenting lesbian… Who I am and how I present is NOT represented anywhere. I'm different, but that's been working for me... And I encourage people that are like me to be proud of who they are by sharing my story." Mary    "These big decisions usually boil down to one person. They've been around for a long time, they're resistant to change and don't like the way things are going… These old white male headspaces need to shift." Megan  [01.11.26] The group share some practical tips and advice for getting more diverse voices onto stages.     Intent Research  Goal-setting  Calls for speakers  Understanding/supporting the people you have in your company  Upskilling  Identifying strengths Personal ethos/mission/values    Authenticity    "Diversity is way beyond color of skin." Karen  [01.25.33] The panel sum up their thoughts from today's discussion.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED: You can connect with Karen, Megan or Mary over on LinkedIn.